Antenna



W. J. RACE March 31, 1959 ANTENNA Filed Nov. 12, 1953 W ,5 g j in M fi 3m u amgaw a J h 1 w. X 2+ Z 2 m \&%\ 1 4d United States Patent ANTENNAWilliam J. Race, Franklin Park, 11]., assignor to Motorola, Inc.,Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 12, 1953,Serial No. 391,467

2 Claims. (Cl. 174-152) The present invention relates to antennas andmore particularly to an improved mounting structure for supporting anantenna on the wall of a vehicle or the like and for providingelectrical connection to the antenna.

Most present day vehicle antennas are in the form of the extensiblevertical type, and it is usual to mount such antennas on the fender orother portion of the automobile. Copending application Serial Number228,- 882, filed May 29, 1951, in the name of William 1. Race et al.,entitled, Antenna for Vehicle Mounting, and assigned to the presentassignee, which issued as Patent 2,693,333 on November 2, 1954,discloses and claims a convenient arrangement for mounting such avertical antenna upon the fender, cowl Or other portion of anautomobile. The mounting structure of the copending application providesfor a convenient mounting directly on the wall of the vehicleconstituting a fender or other portion thereof. However, in someapplications it has been found that the fender wall of an automobile istoo thin and flexible to provide an adequate supporting surface for theantenna.

The present invention is directed to a mounting structure which mayconveniently be used in the applications referred to above in which thefender wall is insufiiciently rigid to support the antenna so that afurther supporting bracket within the automobile must contribute to thesupport of the antenna.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide avehicle antenna that may be supported in an improved and simplifiedmanner between a wall of a vehicle and an internal bracket spaced fromthe wall.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a vehicle antennasupported in an improved manner between a wall of a vehicle and aninternal bracket spaced from the wall, and which includes improved andsimplified means for establishing electrical connections thereto.

A feature of the invention is the provision of an antenna arranged to bemounted between an outer wall of an automobile and an inner bracketspaced from the wall by means of a tubular mounting member supportedbetween the wall and bracket in a manner such that the mounting memberis supported by and grounded to the wall. The antenna further includes atubular antenna supporting member mounted coaxially within the mountingmember and insulated therefrom, the antenna supporting member extendingthrough the inner bracket beyond the end of the mounting member andincluding electrical terminal means adjacent the end of the mountingmember.

The above and other features of the invention which are believed to benew are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, together with further objects and advantagesthereof may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawingin which:

Fig. 1 shows an extensible vertical vehicle antenna mounted on thefender of an automobile by the mounting structure of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the antenna of Fig. 1 taken along thelines 2-2 to illustrate the improved mounting structure of the presentinvention;

Fig. 3 is another view, partly in section, of the mount ing structuretaken at right angles to'the view of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the structure taken along the lines4-4 of Fig. 2.

The invention provides a vehicle antenna to be sup ported between a wallof a vehicle having an opening therein and a supporting bracket in thevehicle spaced from the wall which also has an opening aligned with theopening in the wall. The structure comprises an elongated tubularmounting member having a shoulder portion at one end adapted to overliethe opening in the wall on the side thereof remote from the supportingbracket and having a threaded portion at the opposite end thereofadapted to extend through the opening in the supporting bracket. Thetubular mounting member includes a tapered portion for securing the samefirmly in the wall opening and for making electrical contact with thewall. A nut is threaded to the threaded portion of the mounting memberon the opposite side of the mounting bracket for drawing the shoulderportion firmly against the wall and for holding the mounting memberbetween the wall and supporting bracket. A tubular supporting member forthe antenna is mounted coaxially within the tubular mounting member andinsulated therefrom, the supporting member having an end portionprojecting beyond the threaded portion of the mounting member, and meansis associated with the projecting end portion of the supporting memberfor providing an electrical terminal therefor.

With reference now to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates as previouslystated, a vertical extensible antenna 10 extending through the fender 11of an automobile 12. In most automobile constructions, fender 11 has afire wall 13 spaced therefrom, and the latter may serve as thesupporting bracket for the antenna mounting structure when the fenderwall has insuificient strength to support the antenna by itself.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, the antenna is sup ported betweenfender Wall 11 which has an aperture 14 therein, and mounting bracket 13which has an aperture 15 therein aligned with aperture 14.

The structure includes an elongated tubular mounting member 16 having anintegral shoulder portion 17 at its upper end adapted to overlie opening14 on the side of wall 11 remote from bracket 13. Tubular mountingmember 16 aiso has a threaded portion 18 at the lower end thereof whichextends through opening 15 in the supporting bracket. An annular sealingwasher 19 is provided in coaxial relation with the tubular mountingmember 16, and this sealing washer is interposed between the shoulderportion 17 and wall 11. The sealing washer serves to prevent moisturefrom entering aperture 14, and it may be composed of neoprene or anyother suitable sealing material.

A nut 21) is threaded to the threaded portion 18 of tubular mountingmember 16 for drawing the shoulder portion 17 firmly against the sealingwasher 19 and for securely holding the mounting member between wall 11and supporting bracket 13. A sealing washer 21 is provided forsurrounding aperture 15 to provide a. moisture-proof joint, and a groundconnection can be made to member in by retaining a lug 22 between nut 20and the sealing washer, the lug being connected to a suitable groundlead 23. Member 16 is grounded to fender 11 by a series of tapered ribs16a which are wedged against the edges of aperture 14 as nut 20 istightened.

A tubular electrically conductive antenna supporting member 24 for theantenna is mounted coaxially within mounting member 16, and thesupporting member has a threaded portion 25 at its lower end projectingbeyond threaded portion 18 of the mounting member and a radial- 1yprojecting portion 26 at its upper end.

A first insulating sleeve 27 is mounted at the lower end of supportingmember 24 coaxially within threaded portion 18 of mounting member 16 forinsulating the supporting member therefrom, and the sleeve has anannular portion 28 projecting radially outward to overlie the lower endof the mounting member. A second insulating sleeve 29 is provided at theupper end of supporting member 24 which is mounted coaxially with inmounting member 16 for insulating the supporting member therefrom, andsleeve 29 has an annular portion 30 projecting radially outward tooverlie the shouldered end of the mounting member. The projectingportion 26 of antenna supporting member 24 overlies sleeve 29 so as tomaintain the supporting member against downward motion in mountingmember 16.

An nut 31 is threaded on the threaded portion 25 of supporting member24, and the lug 32 of an antenna lead 33 is interposed between nut 31and portion 28 of sleeve 27 so that the nut holds member 24 coaxiallywithin member 16 and provides an electrical terminal for member 24.

' A tubular portion 34 of a vertical antenna is mounted coaxially withinsupporting member 24 in electrical contact therewith, and these elementsare staked together by beads 35 and 36. The antenna has an extensibleportion 37 in the form of a metallic rod coaxially slidable in tubularportion 34 and having well known configuration so that it mayfrictionally engage portion 34 at any desired extended position. Theassembly also includes a bell-shaped trim cap 38 of insulating materialcoaxial with and frictionally engaging portion 34 to enclose the upperend of the mounting structure.

- With the improved mounting and connecting structure of the presentinvention, a vertical extensible antenna may be rigidly and securelyheld in an automobile and appropriate electrical connections can be madeto the antenna in a simple and expeditious manner. The antenna isextremely simple to mount since there is no need for any connections tobe made in the space between the fender wall 11 and the fire wallbracket 13, this space usually being inaccessible. As can be seen, theantenna can be mounted by the simple operation of inserting mountingmember 16 through the opening and threading nut 20 to the threadedportion thereof. Moreover, electrical connections can be made to theantenna by the simple nut and lug arrangement at the lower end ofantenna supporting member 24. In addition, a convenient groundconnection can be provided by mounting member 16 in the mannerpreviously described herein.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, modifications may be made and it is intended in the appendedclaims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spiritand scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An antenna mounting structure for supporting an antenna on a vehicle,said vehicle having a wall with an opening therein and also having aninternal supporting bracket with an opening therein and spaced from thewall, said structure including in combination, an elongated tubularmounting member having a shoulder portion at one end adapted to overliethe opening in the wall on the side thereof remote from the supportingbracket, said member having a threaded portion at the other end thereofadapted to extend through the opening in the support ing bracket andsaid mounting member having longitudinally extending tapered ribsadapted to extend through said opening and engage the sides thereof toconnect saidmounting member to the wall, a nut engaging said threadedportion on the side of the mounting bracket remote from the wall fordrawing said shoulder portion firmly against the wall and for holdingsaid mounting member betweenthe wall and the supporting bracket and saidribs against the sides of the opening in the wall, an

electrically conductive tubular antenna supporting member mountedcoaxially within said mounting member, a pair of insulating sleevesdisposed at the respective ends of said mounting member for insulatingsaid supporting member therefrom and having respective annular portionsoverlying said respective ends of said mounting member, said antennasupporting member having a projection at one end extending radiallyoutward and overlying said annular portion of one of said insulatingsleeves and sa1d supporting member having a threaded portion at itsother end extending through the other one of said insulatmg sleevesbeyond said threaded portion of said mounting member, a nut engagingsaid threaded portion of sa1d antenna supporting member to form anelectrical terminal for said supporting member and tomaintain sa1dsupporting member coaxially within said mounting member, a tubularantenna mounted coaxially within said antenna supporting member andafiixed thereto, said antenna extending outwardly from the wall on theside thereof remote from the supporting bracket, and a bell-shaped trimcover cap of insulating materialcoaxial with and frictionally engagingan extending portion of said tubular antenna to enclose the upper end ofsaid mounting struc ture.

2. An antenna to be mounted on a vehicle, said vehicle having a metallicwall with an opening therein and also having an internal supportingbracket with an opening therein and spaced from the wall, said antennaincluding in combination, an elongated tubular metallic mounting memberhaving a shoulder portion at one end adapted to overlie the opening inthe wall on the side thereof remote from the supporting bracket, saidmounting member having longitudinally extending tapered ribs at said oneend adapted to extend through'said opening and engage the sides thereofto connect said mounting member to the wall, a sealing washer coaxialwith said mounting member to be interposed between said shoulder and thewall, said mounting member having a threaded portion at the other endthereof adapted to extend through the opening in the supporting bracket,a nut engaging said threaded portion on the side of the mounting bracketre mote from the wall for forming a ground terminal and for drawing saidshoulder portion firmly against said sealing washer and said ribsagainst the sides of the opening in the wall so as to hold said mountingmember between the wall and the supporting bracket, an electricallyconductive tubular antenna supporting member mounted coaxially withinsaid mounting member, a pair of insulating sleeves disposed at therespective ends of said mounting member for insulating said supportingmember therefrom and having respective annular portions overlying saidre spective ends of said mounting member, said antenna supporting memberhaving a projection at one end extending radially outward and overlyingsaid annular portion of one of said insulating sleeves and saidsupporting member having a threaded portion at its other end extendingthrough the other one of said insulating sleeves beyond said threadedportion of said mounting member, a nut engaging said threaded portion ofsaid antenna supporting member to form an electrical terminal for saidsupporting member and to maintain said supporting member coaxiallywithin said mounting member, and a rod mounted coaxially within saidantenna supporting member and staked thereto, said rod extendingoutwardly from the wall on the side thereof remote from the supportingbracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,966,835 Stites July 17, 1934 1,968,516 Dieter July 31, 1934 2,205,846Courtney June 25, 1940 2,285,588 Kirkes June 9, 1942 2,391,202 Tellanderet al Dec. 18, 1945

